Rory McIlroy takes bitter swipe at YouTube golf in awkward TV interview
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Rory McIlroy issued a scathing verdict on the latest media attempt to try to revolutionize golf.
While the LIV Golf vs PGA Tour's civil war and subsequent ceasefire has dominated the sport in recent years, it appears McIlroy believes there is another element that is contributing to the oversaturation of golf: YouTube.
Content creators such as Paige Spiranac, Grant Horvat, Rick Shiels and newcomer Kai Trump have contributed to the boom of the sport on online platforms over the past few years.
Even LIV Golf star and two-time major winner Bryson DeChambeau has gotten in on the action, earning 1.76million subscribers thanks to his videos with the likes of President Donald Trump and Tom Brady.
McIlroy has been a staunch critic of the LIV breakaway in the past but it seems the Northern Irishman has now turned his attacks elsewhere.
The 35-year-old took aim at golf's online presence ahead of this week's Players Championship, preferring to stick to the sport's traditional route.
Rory McIlroy issued a scathing verdict on YouTube golf ahead of the Players Championship
Paige Spiranac and Kai Trump have generated millions of followers through online golf content
'I'm not of that generation,' McIlroy admitted. 'I'd much rather watch pure, competitive... I'd much rather watch this golf tournament on Sunday than watch YouTube golf.'
It wasn't the first time McIlroy has made his scathing judgement of golf YouTubers be known.
Ahead of his season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in January, the four-time major winner, while conceding that golf YouTubers had discovered a cool niche, hit out at the content for diminishing professional golf.
'You know, I think it (PGA Tour) already has been diminished… YouTube is like golf entertainment adjacent, whatever. Those guys are killing it. They found a niche and it's really cool and it serves a purpose for a lot of people,' he began.
'But look, I would much rather sit down and watch real golfers play real tournaments and that's just my opinion. That to me is more entertaining… But I understand that other people want something different and that's totally fine as well. I think there's space for all of this.
'Yeah, I can see when the golf consumer might get a little fatigued of everything that's sort of available to them.'
McIlroy's comments come after the PGA Tour saw a slump in viewership last year. Despite an epic Tiger Woods-esque run from Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele's major drought finally coming to an end and McIlroy's own US Open implosion, the Tour's ratings didn't paint a pretty picture.
The Tour averaged 2.2 million viewers for its Sunday telecasts (no majors) in 2024, a drop of 19 percent from 2.7 million in 2023, according to Sports Business Journal.
Kai, the granddaughter of President Donald Trump, is pictured with McIlroy in February
LV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau has featured the President on his YouTube channel
Meanwhile, Shiels, a British creator, alone has amassed an astonishing 2.92million subscribers. Horvat, who has featured Phil Mickelson and John Daly on his channel, boasts over one million.
In the four months since launching her channel, Kai Trump, the granddaughter of President Trump, has garnered 1.06 subscribers to her content, which also includes lifestyle videos as well as golf.
Golf glamour girl Paige Spiranac has just 439,000 on the video platform, a significant drop compared to her peers, but she more than makes up for it across her other social media profiles.
Spiranac has made her mark on golf, taking social media by storm in her tiny, tight-fit skirts and low-cut tops, and courting controversy with almost every post.
But, like her or loathe her, her sultry snaps on Instagram have been rewarded with a staggering four million followers.
